This invention relates generally to the field of fabric and to articles made of fabric, and more particularly to a method of making a fabric and an article made of the fabric having the appearance of a plant material.
It is well known that fabric having the appearance of a plant is useful for many applications. Fabric having the appearance of leaves has been used as a camouflage, and fabric having the appearance of leaves and/or flowers has been used for its decorative properties. Many processes are known for applying stain or coloring to a fabric to create a plant image, or for weaving a fabric of multiple colors to create a plant image. However, such processes produce only a simulation of the plant or flower. In many decorating applications, it would be preferable to have a more natural plant-like appearance in the fabric. Ideally, actual plant material would be used as a fabric, however, such organic material is not practical as a fabric. Untreated plant material will degrade or rot if left in its natural state. It is known to dry plant material to preserve it, however, a dried plant is brittle and irregularly shaped and is not useful as a textile material. What is needed is a fabric material having a more natural plant-like appearance.
In light of the limitations of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a process for making a fabric and a fabric covered article from actual plant material in a manner that preserves the appearance of the plant material in the fabric. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fabric and an article covered with the fabric made of actual plant material wherein the fabric retains the appearance of the plant material.
To meet these and other objects of the invention, a process is provided for forming a laminate fabric having the appearance of plant material, the process comprising the steps of: providing dried plant material; soaking the plant material in water; pressing the plant material against a flat surface while drying the plant material; adhering a first side of the plant material to a bottom sheet of a paper or silk material or other natural fiber; and adhering a second side of the plant material opposed the first side to a top sheet of a translucent paper or silk material or other natural fiber to form a laminate fabric. Further, a fabric is provided comprising a bottom layer of paper or silk; an intermediate layer of flattened dried plant material adhered to the bottom layer, and a top layer of translucent paper or silk adhered to the intermediate layer.